Hi folks, today I have a very special guest for you. Her name is Adrienne Huntley, she’s a mentor and friend who also happens to be an experienced Human Resource Professional; so that’s a win, win, win.  Adrienne wrote this great piece to help us land that dream job or promotion; for your reading pleasure, enjoy “Getting Hired and Upward Mobility: Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”

It is always important that an employee knows their job responsibilities and can perform those duties effectively, if they have any hope of obtaining employment or progressing within an organization. However, unless that employee possesses the right attitude their aspirations to become gainfully employed or to climb the ladder of success, within an organization, may come to a screeching halt. After many years of assessing candidates for hire, transfers and/or promotions, after the capabilities of the candidates were equivalent, overall attitude was the tie-breaker in determining which candidate was selected. In short, the candidate with the best attitude wins.

A lot of times, employees work diligently to perfect their craft of ensuring quality of work or in the case of those applying for positions, to convince their potential employer of their abilities, they sometimes neglect another vitally significant aspect of their image, a positive attitude. When interviewing, candidates sometimes work so hard to sell themselves they forget the importance of being personable.  They come across as arrogant rather than knowledgeable. To avoid these pitfalls, try these tips:

• When you greet your interviewer, compliment that firm handshake with a nice smile. Chances are, they will smile back and this will somewhat lighten the mood and shake off some of the nervous tension, for the both of you.
• Gear your responses to your situational interview questions in a manner which tells a little about your attitude.  For instance, if asked, “How do you deal with interpersonal conflict?”, instead of jumping right in to the meat of the question, begin by saying. “ I believe in treating others the way I want to be treated, so….” This grants the interviewer an opportunity to grasp your attitude along with your aptitude.

For those already employed, is not an easy task to maintain a positive attitude at work every day, as there are numerous factors that could negatively intrude upon the ideal work environment. Factors, such as, the type of work one performs, who you work for, whether your boss allows you to do your job without the micromanagement factor, and let us not forget, individuals with whom you work with, can play a major role in the attitude in which one displays at work.  However, do your best to stay focused on your goal and remember your chances of progressing well within a company, increase substantially, if you learn to manage these situations effectively by maintaining a positive aura. Here are a few positive ways in which to interpret those bad situations, in an effort to help you ‘keep your eye on the prize’:

• If your concern is what you do, focus on perfecting the job and it doesn’t hurt to take on other tasks.  The better you are at your current responsibilities, the more valuable you are to your organization.  Additionally, taking on additional responsibilities, is a great distraction from your current task and, in the long run, makes you even more valuable. It screams to your employer, without the abrasiveness of literal screaming, “I am open to change. I want to grow. Pick me!”
• If your manager is the negative factor, remember you have to be flexible.  Learning to work under different management styles is useful. Organizations love individuals who possess great interpersonal skills.  These skills are only fully developed when one learns to deal effectively with all different types of personalities.  Think of it as preparation rather than torture and everyone knows “practice makes perfect.”
• If it is your co-workers that could potentially cause an adverse mood altering affect, perspective is everything. Everyone knows there is nothing worse than working with an employee that doesn’t pull their own weight, that can affect your attitude. However, try to see this negative a as positive. Think about it, their laziness can make you look even more productive. Employers are always comparing and contrasting workers.  If you successfully complete your duties without complaining, under those circumstances, it is all the more attractive to an employer because they will see your maturity and this type of maturity meshes well with a managerial role.  Always stay focused on you and your efforts and don’t let their lack of effort be a distraction.

Keep in mind, an employer is trying to select the candidate that is “the best fit”, not necessarily, “the most qualified”. There is nothing worse than hiring an employee whose attitude will not blend in well with the professional environment that most employers value.  Thus, maintaining a positive attitude goes a long way (upward).

Adrienne Huntley, PHR Veteran HR Professional,  You can connect to her on LinkedIn. (click here)